Sterling Griggs

Have you ever started a project, job, sport, or discipline only to quit before you were finished because it was too hard?  My senior year in high school I went to work for a lawn service that was owned by a good friend's older brother.  After giving almost every afternoon and Saturday for a month, I was not enjoying the job at all.  I reasoned that since it was my senior year, I shouldn't have to devote that much time to a job that was just taking away from my last bits of valuable high school life.  So I quit.  People get knee deep in commitments all the time before they realize that what they have given themselves to is difficult and demanding.  The temptation to quit and walk away can be overwhelming, even justifiable in some situations. Being a follower of Christ is hard.  But it's not for quitters. Jesus brought to us some teachings that were more than difficult to follow; they seemed almost impossible.  Yet He did this so that we would f...

The story of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4 has been used for years as a textbook example of how evangelism should be approached.  In the story, Jesus finds a point of common interest with the woman (they both want water), He bridges the conversation to spiritual issues and steers clear of chasing any rabbits in the conversation, and in the end He extends an invitation for her to see who the Messiah truly is. But what strikes me most about this passage is what happens way down toward the end of John 4 in verse 42, when the men of the town have heard the woman's report about Jesus and have come out to hear and believe it for themselves.  Here is what they said: "And they told the woman, "We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world .""  This is not a slam on the woman and what she has shared with them; instead, it is an honest and heartfelt response of those who h...

As one who has grown up attending church, I have often identified a specific church with the senior pastor who leads it. Adrian Rogers was the face of Belleview in Memphis and Thomas Road was synonymous with Jerry Fallwell. The same can be said of churches today, with often the first question being asked of attendees being, "Isn't that Pastor so-and-so's church?" While these associations may not be evidence of any kind of pastor worship (usually), to limit the identity of any church with just it's pastor is shortsighted at best. This type of qualifying leads to the assignment of the pastor as the primary minister while the congregation fills the pews simply to be given their weekly dose of spiritual spoon feeding. "But isn't that what we pay the pastor to do? It's his job to lead in evangelism and do all of the work of the church, isn't it?" No, it isn't. You will be hard pressed to find anywhere in Scripture where the job descripti...

Last night Kellie and I went to the fair without the kids so that we could fully enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors that we missed when we took the whole crew.  One of my favorite times of the year is when the Dixie Classic Fair comes to town.  I love to eat and there are so many choices that I often get overwhelmed.  Elephant ears, deep fried candy bars, Richardson's root beer, Italian sausage sandwiches, mmmmm...... When we took our kids the day before I had a chance to scope out all of the food options that would be possibilities when just Kellie and I went.  So last night I went to the fair with a game plan, a strategy that I was anxious to execute.  On my list of must-haves was a pork chop sandwich that a local church fries up at one of the booths.  With root bear swishing in my belly I found my way to that familiar location, my senses urging me on.  As I rounded the corner to where the pork chop sandwiches had been before, I was cru...

It has been said that there are two things that you don't talk about in mixed company: religion and politics.  You can talk about relationships, you can gossip incessantly, and you can crack foul jokes.  But nothing ruins a social get together like someone with an opinion, right? But what can be said and taught when the body of Christ meets together for regular worship and Bible study?  Once we get past all the "God bless you, brother!" and "Great to see you! How's your family?" comments, do we stay in church-speak mode or do we truly seek to address kingdom issues?  There was movie I once saw (can't remember the name of it) where one of the characters would whisper certain words that were either taboo or super serious.  This specific character knew a friend who was sick with cancer, so whenever she discussed her friend's illness she would whisper the "c word" instead of saying it out loud. There's simply too much whispering going o...

"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) It's hard for me to sit in one place for too long.  Even if I have time to settle down to watch a ball game (which is rare), I often get up multiple times during the game to do this or that.  I don't believe I have ADD or anything like that, it's just that there are so many things that run through my mind that I can't just let them sit there without dealing with them. Last night I had a wonderful opportunity to sit on our deck with my wife under a beautiful moonlit night and do absolutely nothing.  The kids were in bed, the weather was perfect, and we both had cups of hot chai in our hands.  My iPod was playing background music and as we sat basking in the moon's glow, we watched as Jupiter followed the moon across the sky.  We talked about life, work, family, dreams, the beach, and faith.  Our hearts were full of God's peace as we sat there together, in the stillness of God's creative glory.  ...

There are many things that I have experience that have been so life-altering I probably will never get over them.  One is having open heart surgery in 1996 at the tender age of 26.  My wedding day in 1999 was perhaps one of the most joyful and overwhelming days ever.  The birth of each one of my children was incredible, but there is nothing like witnessing (and even assisting) in the birth of your first child. Then there is my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I was five years old when I understood that the gospel was for me.  I repented of my sin, placed my trust in Christ, and started on a journey of faith and obedience.  During these past 35 years there have been many ups and downs for me spiritually, yet God has been faithful to me and has granted me His grace and mercy continuously even though I've done nothing to deserve it. To be honest, most of the life-altering experiences I've had haven't bowled me over on a daily basis.  Just writing thes...